A checklist of the helminth parasites of marine mammals from Argentina

Based on published records and new data accumulated by the authors, we generated a list of the helminth parasites of marine mammals from off the coast of Argentina. We found 49 reports of helminths parasitizing cetaceans and pinnipeds from Argentina from 1952 to 2015. The list includes 54 taxa of helminths (8 acanthocephalans, 24 nematodes, 11 cestodes and 11 trematodes) associated with 18 species of cetaceans and 5 species of pinnipeds. Most of the records represent adults (5 canthocephalans, 16 nematodes, 6 cestodes and 11 trematodes), followed by larvae (10 nematodes and 3 metacestodes) and juveniles (4 acanthocephalans and 2 cestodes). The checklist contains 24 named species (5 acanthocephalans, 8 nem- atodes, 4 cestodes and 7 trematodes) and 30 undetermined helminth taxa (3 acanthocephalans, 16 nematodes, 7 cestodes and 4 trematodes). The present account contains a parasite/host lists and information on the habitat, developmental stage and distribution of the parasites listed, repositories of their type and voucher specimens and references. A host-parasite list is also presented. The data compiled on the helminth of marine mammals from Argentina in the present study revealed gaps in the knowledge of their taxonomic identification, composition, distribution, host specificity and life cycles. These gaps are also briefly discussed in order to provide an outline for future research.Fil: Hernández Orts, Jesús Servando. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Paso Viola, María Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Nestor Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Crespo, Enrique Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: González, Raul Alberto Candido. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Biologia Marina y Pesquera Almirante Storni; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Garcia Varela, Martin. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Kuchta, Roman. Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; República Chec

A Graph Based Neural Network Approach to Immune Profiling of Multiplexed Tissue Samples

Multiplexed immunofluorescence provides an unprecedented opportunity for studying specific cell-to-cell and cell microenvironment interactions. We employ graph neural networks to combine features obtained from tissue morphology with measurements of protein expression to profile the tumour microenvironment associated with different tumour stages. Our framework presents a new approach to analysing and processing these complex multi-dimensional datasets that overcomes some of the key challenges in analysing these data and opens up the opportunity to abstract biologically meaningful interactions

First complete genome sequence of potato leafroll virus from Argentina

In this study, we determined for the first time the complete genomic sequence of an Argentinian isolate of Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), the type species of the genus Polerovirus. The isolate sequenced came from a Solanum tuberosum plant that had been naturally infected with the virus. Isolate PLRV-AR had a nucleotide sequence identity between 94.4 and 97.3% with several known PLRV isolates worldwide.Inst. de BiotecnologíaFil: Barrios Baron, Maria Pilar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Agrofoglio, Yamila Carla. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Delfosse, Veronica Cecilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Nahirñak, Vanesa. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez De Urreta, Martin Salvador. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Almasia, Natalia Ines. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Vazquez Rovere, Cecilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Sabio Y Garcia, Julia Verónica. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; Argentin

Gender and functional CYP2C and NAT2 polymorphisms determine the metabolic profile of metamizole

Metamizole is a pain-killer drug that has been banned in some countries because of its toxicity, but it is still used in many countries due to its effective analgesic and antispasmodic properties. Although large variability in the biodisposition and adverse effects of metamizole are known, factors underlying this variability are poorly understood. We analyzed the urinary recovery of metabolites, as well as the association of these profiles with genetic and non-genetic factors, in a group of 362 healthy individuals. Gender and functional polymorphisms are strongly related to metabolic profiles. N-demethylation of the active metabolite MAA is diminished in carriers of the CYP2C19*2 allele and in NAT2-slow acetylators. Acetylation of the secondary metabolite AA is decreased in men, in drinkers and in NAT2-slow acetylators with a differential effect of NAT2*5 and NAT2*6 alleles. The formylation of MAA is diminished in older subjects and in carriers of defect CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 alleles. Two novel arachidonoyl metabolites were identified for the first time in humans. Women and NAT2-slow acetylators show higher concentrations, whereas the presence of the rapid CYP2C19*17 allele is associated with lower concentrations of these metabolites. All genetic associations show a gene-dose effect. We identified for the first time genetic and non-genetic factors related to the oxidative metabolism of analgesic drug metamizole, as well as new active metabolites in humans. The phenotypic and genetic factors identified in this study have a potential application as biomarkers of metamizole biotransformation and toxicity.We are grateful to Prof. James McCue for assistance in language editing. Financed by grants PS09/00943, PS09/00469, PI12/00241, PI12/00324 and RETICS RD07/0064/0016 and RD12/0013/0002 and RD12/0013/0009 from Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; GR10068 from Junta de Extremadura, Spain. Financed in part with FEDER funds from the European Union. I.A. is supported by a Servet Contract CP11/00154.Martínez, C.; Andreu Ros, MI.; Amo, G.; Miranda Alonso, MÁ.; Esguevillas, G.; Torres, MJ.; Blanca López, N.... (2014). Gender and functional CYP2C and NAT2 polymorphisms determine the metabolic profile of metamizole. Biochemical Pharmacology. 92(3):457-466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2014.09.005S45746692

Dietary glycemic index and retinal microvasculature in adults: a cross-sectional study

[EN] Objective: To analyze the relationship between dietary glycemic index (GI) and retinal microvasculature in adults. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 300 subjects from the EVIDENT II study. Dietary GI was calculated using a validated, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Retinal photographs were digitized, temporal vessels were measured in an area 0.5–1 disc diameter from the optic disc and arteriolar-venular index (AVI) was estimated with semi-automated software. Results: AVI showed a significant difference between the tertiles of GI, after adjusting for potential confounders. The lowest AVI values were observed among subjects in the highest tertile of GI, whereas the greatest were found among those in the lowest tertile (estimated marginal mean of 0.738 vs. 0.768, p = 0.014). Conclusions: In adults, high dietary GI implies lowering AVI values regardless of age, gender and other confounding variables. Trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT02016014. Registered 9 December 2013

Viscoelastic properties of plasma-agarose hydrogels dictate favorable fibroblast responses for skin tissue engineering applications

Dermal wound healing relies on the properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Thus, hydrogels that replicate skin ECM have reached clinical application. After a dermal injury, a transient, biodegradable fibrin clot is instrumental in wound healing. Human plasma, and its main constituent, fibrin would make a suitable biomaterial for improving wound healing and processed as hydrogels albeit with limited mechanical strength. To overcome this, plasma-agarose (PA) composite hydrogels have been developed and used to prepare diverse bioengineered tissues. To date, little is known about the influence of variable agarose concentrations on the viscoelastic properties of PA hydrogels and their correlation to cell biology. This study reports the characterization of the viscoelastic properties of different concentrations of agarose in PA hydrogels: 0 %, 0.5 %, 1 %, 1.5 %, and 2 % (w/v), and their influence on the cell number and mitochondrial activity of human dermal fibroblasts. Results show that agarose addition increased the stiffness, relaxation time constants 1 (τ1) and 2 (τ2), and fiber diameter, whereas the porosity decreased. Changes in cell metabolism occurred at the early stages of culturing and correlated to the displacement of fast (τ1) and intermediate (τ2) Maxwell elements. Fibroblasts seeded in low PA concentrations spread faster during 14 d than cells cultured in higher agarose concentrations. Collectively, these results confirm that PA viscoelasticity and hydrogel architecture strongly influenced cell behavior. Therefore, viscoelasticity is a key parameter in the design of PA-based implants

R-Spondin3 is associated with basal-progenitor behavior in normal and tumor mammary cells

R-spondin3 (RSPO3) is a member of a family of secreted proteins that enhance Wnt signaling pathways in diverse processes, including cancer. However, the role of RSPO3 in mammary gland and breast cancer development remains unclear. In this study, we show that RSPO3 is expressed in the basal stem cell–enriched compartment of normal mouse mammary glands but is absent from committed mature luminal cells in which exogenous RSPO3 impairs lactogenic differentiation. RSPO3 knockdown in basal-like mouse mammary tumor cells reduced canonical Wnt signaling, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-like features, migration capacity, and tumor formation in vivo. Conversely, RSPO3 overexpression, which was associated with some LGR and RUNX factors, highly correlated with the basal-like subtype among patients with breast cancer. Thus, we identified RSPO3 as a novel key modulator of breast cancer development and a potential target for treatment of basal-like breast cancers. Significance: These findings identify RSPO3 as a potential therapetuic target in basal-like breast cancers. Graphical Abstract: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/78/16/4497/F1.large.jpg.Fil: Tocci, Johanna Melisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Felcher, Carla María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Garcia Sola, Martin Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Goddio, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Zimberlin, Maria Noel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Rubinstein, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Srebrow, Anabella. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Coso, Omar Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Abba, Martín Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Meissl, Roberto Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Kordon, Edith Claudia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentin

How, not if, is the question mycologists should be asking about DNA-based typification

Fungal metabarcoding of substrates such as soil, wood, and water is uncovering an unprecedented number of fungal species that do not seem to produce tangible morphological structures and that defy our best attempts at cultivation, thus falling outside the scope of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. The present study uses the new, ninth release of the species hypotheses of the UNITE database to show that species discovery through environmental sequencing vastly outpaces traditional, Sanger sequencing-based efforts in a strongly increasing trend over the last five years. Our findings chal-lenge the present stance of some in the mycological community - that the current situation is satisfactory and that no change is needed to "the code" - and suggest that we should be discussing not whether to allow DNA-based descriptions (typifications) of species and by extension higher ranks of fungi, but what the precise requirements for such DNA-based typifications should be. We submit a tentative list of such criteria for further discussion. The present authors hope for a revitalized and deepened discussion on DNA-based typification, because to us it seems harmful and counter-productive to intentionally deny the overwhelming majority of extant fungi a formal standing under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants

The curse of the uncultured fungus

The international DNA sequence databases abound in fungal sequences not annotated beyond the kingdom level, typically bearing names such as "uncultured fungus". These sequences beget lowresolution mycological results and invite further deposition of similarly poorly annotated entries. What do these sequences represent? This study uses a 767,918-sequence corpus of public full-length that represent truly unidentifiable fungal taxa - and what proportion of them that would have deposition. Our results suggest that more than 70% of these sequences would have been trivial to identify to at least the order/family level at the time of sequence deposition, hinting that factors other than poor availability of relevant reference sequences explain the low-resolution names. We speculate that researchers' perceived lack of time and lack of insight into the ramifications of this problem are the main explanations for the low-resolution names. We were surprised to find that more than a fifth of these sequences seem to have been deposited by mycologists rather than researchers unfamiliar with the consequences of poorly annotated fungal sequences in molecular repositories. The proportion of these needlessly poorly annotated sequences does not decline over time, suggesting that this problem must not be left unchecked